Dead Skin
by Officer BudBabe
Summary: Angel Crossover. Kate Lockley needed a new life. She needed to shed her dead skin and become human again. Somewhere where nobody would know her… where she could just start again.
1. Time of your life

**Title: Dead Skin**

**Author: Officer BudBabe**

**Summary: Angel/CSI Crossover. Kate Lockley needed a new life. She needed to shed her dead skin and become human again. Somewhere where nobody would know her… where she could just start again. Nick/Kate**

**Genre: Angst/Romance/Mystery**

**Rating: K+**

**Disclaimer: This story has been written for entertainment purposes only and no Profit has been made on the Author's part. Really. I just like watching George Eads… Grin **

**Chapter One – Time of your life**

**XXXX**

Kate Lockley cradled the glass of Gin in her hands as she stared out of the window at the lights of Las Vegas.

Vegas at night was a sight to be seen. It was as if it came alive the second the sun went down.

Not unlike certain other entities she could mention.

Turning to face into her apartment Kate's gaze fell immediately upon the telephone. Her fingers were itching to pick it up and dial the familiar number.

"He must be pretty worried by now." She murmured to herself, a hint of guilt in her voice.

'_You give yourself too much credit, Lockley.' _A small voice whispered from the recesses of her mind _'He probably hasn't even realised you left.' _

As far as Kate was concerned, skipping town hadn't been an entirely conscious decision. More like she had woken up the morning after Angel had saved her and gone into a trance. Before she knew it she had packed a few bags and closed her apartment door for the last time. She had only become properly aware of her actions halfway along the highway, sat on a coach full of holiday makers with some old guy named Marvin next to her.

The humidity and heat of the vehicle had turned her thoughts to Angel. Would he care that she had skipped town? Would he worry about her? Probably not. She had been pretty angry with him after he had pulled her into an icy cold shower because she'd OD'd on Painkillers.

And now it had been almost a month since she had left Los Angeles. She hadn't called him to let him know where she was, or even that she was alive. The apartment she was renting now was big and spacious and sunny. The furniture had been included in the asking price, which had been a little too cheap, in Kate's opinion. For three weeks she had been waiting for something to go wrong, for the roof to spring a leak or for the walls to cave in with dry rot. But it wasn't the dank little motel that she had been staying in before, so she tried to stay positive.

On her first night in Las Vegas Kate had sat for hours staring at the phone, willing herself to pick it up and dial the number for Angel Investigations. But she never did.

She told herself fiercely that she needed to separate herself from her old life and that included all the people she knew in Los Angeles. Until she had left, L.A had been her world; it had been all she knew. But now, that world had fallen apart around her. Maybe it had been crumbling for a long time before, but all Kate knew was that somewhere along the way, things had gone wrong.

She was using her savings to pay for the apartment but pretty soon she was going to need a job. The rent for the apartment was just under six hundred dollars a month, and the money in her bank account was getting pretty low.

Only in Kate's sleep did she ever truly relax. Awake she was constantly on her guard. Everyone on the street looked threatening to her, which was the main reason that she hardly ever left her apartment.

Crossing to the bedroom, Kate lay down on the bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep. She had been so tired for the past few weeks. All she seemed to do was sleep. She barely ever went out except to venture to the supermarket for oddities. She barely ate, only fixing food for herself when she was almost faint with hunger. Her weight had plummeted, and the face that greeted her in the bathroom mirror every day was sallow and pale.

In the dark waters of her mind, Kate dreamt. Suddenly she was standing in the Blue Bar again, in that blue dress that at least gave the impression that she was vaguely feminine. And her father was looking at her. She could see the embarrassment in his eyes, but she carried on regardless.

'_After mom died, you stopped, you know? It was like you couldn't stand the sight of me.' In her minds eye, Kate could feel the tears welling up 'But big girls don't cry, right? You said, gone's gone, and there's no use wallowing - Worms and dirt and nothing, forever. Not one word about a better place.' A choked sob escaped from her lips 'You couldn't even tell a scared little girl a beautiful lie.' _

Everyone thought that little outburst was down to her sensitivity training. The truth was that was how she really felt. Kate didn't know what made her say it, but the second she stood up to speak her heart had taken over, and all the years she had spent crying behind closed doors and sitting through the heartbreaking silences because Trevor Lockley could think of nothing to say to his daughter came pouring out.

And suddenly, quick as a flash she was stood in the door way to her father's apartment, seeing the very last dregs of life leave his body.

_Kate fell to her knees 'No, Daddy, no…' Great sobs wracked her body as Angel watched on helplessly. Kate covered her father's body with her own._

'_I wanted to save him. He – he wouldn't let me - Look, he was involved in something, Kate, in something he couldn't have understood.' Angel tried to explain._

'_Get out! Get out get out get out! Please get out!' Kate yelled, almost hysterical._

Upon waking Kate blinked in the harsh sunlight pouring in through the window. She had forgotten to close the curtains.

The same dream. Every night, the same dream. She would go to sleep, her heart would break all over again, and then she would wake up.

Laying there, feeling so low and helpless, Kate almost began to cry. There was nothing left for her any more. Her father was dead, and she would forever shoulder the guilt for that. She had won nothing over him, had never made him proud of her the way she was of him. She had tried so hard and lost. Angel had tried to help her. Tried to save her when she didn't want to be saved, and she hadn't forgiven him for that. Why couldn't he have seen that she would have been better off dead?

Bringing her hand up Kate fiddled with the silver cross that adorned her neck. This was her protection, and also her belief in God.

Christianity teaches that there is a plan for us. A destiny that nobody except God himself can determine. Our destiny is not where we end up, but rather how we get there, the choices we make and how we live.

Trevor Lockley had never been a big believer in God or Heaven and after Kate's mother had died he did not speak of it, thus proving to Kate that her father had no time for anything he could not prove. After a few years of him being detached from the world, Kate turned to God in desperation, hoping that he would fill the empty space her father had left in her heart. It hadn't filled that particular void, but it had given Kate the strength she had needed to go on trying to win her father's love and respect.

Filled with a new resolve, Kate rose from her bed and moved through her apartment, throwing open all the windows, letting the fresh air and the noise of the early morning traffic in.

It seemed she would be going nowhere for a long time.

She would probably never be happy. She would never truly forgive herself for her father's death.

But it was a start.


	2. Made to Heal

**Title: Dead Skin**

**Author: Officer BudBabe**

**Summary: Angel/CSI Crossover. Kate Lockley needed a new life. She needed to shed her dead skin and become human again. Somewhere where nobody would know her… where she could just start again. Nick/Kate**

**Genre: Angst/Romance/Mystery**

**Rating: K+**

**Disclaimer: This story has been written for entertainment purposes only and no Profit has been made on the Author's part. Really. I just like watching George Eads… Grin**

**Chapter Two – Made to Heal**

**XXXX**

"Miss Lockley?" Kate looked up from the magazine she had been flipping through "Yes?"

"Welcome to CSI. My name is Gil Grissom; we spoke on the phone regarding your interview with Mr. Ecklie?"

"Oh yes, I remember. Hello." Kate stood and shook Gil's hand.

"Congratulations on your coming to work with us. Your references were excellent, considering…" Gil trailed off, looking embarrassed. Kate felt a small smile tugging at her lips.

"My dishonourable discharge?" She finished off for him. Gil looked at her.

"You must have gone through a lot."

"Yeah, but I'm working through it. I needed a fresh start. To be honest I was surprised the crime lab had even hired me." Gil began to lead her down the corridor.

"Well your excellent work outweighs your superiors' complaints. I have no doubt you will get through the probation period just fine. Now," Gil led Kate through a door into a clean space with tables, chairs and a small kitchenette "This is the break room and where we meet for briefing every shift." A few others loitered around the break room and Gil introduced one of them to Kate.

"Sara, this is Kate Lockley, our newest CSI." A dark haired woman with a cup of coffee smiled at Kate and put a hand out for her to shake.

"Welcome, Kate. Is it OK to call you Kate?" Kate smiled at the politeness with which she was being addressed. In L.A, nobody had done that. She had been Trevor Lockley's kid. No need for respect.

"It's fine. It's nice to meet you." She said taking the hand that had been offered. Sara looked past her and smiled as two other people came ambling through the door. Kate turned and was greeted with the sight of a gangly man with sandy hair and a tall dark skinned man.

"OK, now everyone's here, I'd like to properly introduce Kate Lockley, the newest addition to the team. Kate, you know Sara, this is Warrick Brown, Catherine Willows, Nick Stokes, Captain Jim Brass and Greg Sanders." Gil pointed at them all and in turned they waved at Kate, who smiled and nodded at them.

"Alright you guys. Catherine, Sara and Warrick, you're with me. We've got two DB's in the desert just outside Vegas. Nick, Kate and Greg you've got a DB on West Charleston Boulevard by the community college."

**XXXX**

The body was lain haphazardly on the pathway leading to the community college.

"It's way out in the open." Greg speculated as Nick parked the Tahoe. Police cars were already there and officers were milling about. Nick, Greg and Kate climbed out of the Tahoe and walked towards the crime scene, kits in hand.

Kneeling down by the body Kate donned a pair of gloves and began to process it. She searched his pockets for some form of identification. Upon finding his wallet, she opened it and found three hundred dollars in cash and several credit cards. Checking the ID she saw that the wallet belonged to the man.

"Carl Jacoby." She read, frowning. This didn't add up. If this man was killed for a reason, surely the dumping ground would have been more private? But if he was killed by a mugger, why was all his money and credit cards still in his wallet? She said as much to Nick, who frowned.

"Is there any other evidence on the body?" Kate shrugged and began to look.

"No cellphone, no pager. It says here he was a senior medical student." Kate gestured to Carl Jacoby's ID "Why wouldn't he have his pager or cellphone with him?"

"Maybe the killer took them." Greg suggested. Kate frowned.

"But why take those things and leave three hundred dollars in cash and several credit cards on the body? Also, why leave his ID? If the killer hadn't wanted us to identify the body as quickly as we did, they wouldn't have left it."

Kate continued to process the body. Nick went to search the surrounding area for clues while Greg lifted some shoe prints he had found. Carl Jacoby was sprawled out on his back, a good indication that he was dead before he hit the ground. His head lolled to one side and looking at him, Kate could find no immediate cause of death. His clothes were in one piece, no rips or tears anywhere. His skin was ashen, suggesting that he had been dead a while. Going to move his head so that he was facing upwards Kate caught sight of a tiny dribble of blood on his lips. Swabbing it she gently opened her mouth for traces of more. She found a few, but could find no evidence that he had been vomiting blood. The pathologist would have to decide. Something caught Kate's eye as she moved the victim's head a little.

Two tiny holes on the Victim's neck.

Kate's head began to spin '_No, No. This can't be happening again. It can't be true...'_

"What else did you find?" Greg appeared at Kate's side, making her jump and tearing her from her thoughts. Not meeting Greg's eyes she quickly collected herself.

"Uh… I uh… There are two tiny holes in his neck and blood in his mouth." She stuttered, beginning to understand why the victim had blood in his mouth. Her heart sank and her face turned grey at the thought.

"Is it OK to get the coroner over here now or are you still not done?" Greg asked, looking around for the familiar face of the coroner.

"Uh… Give me a minute; I want to make sure there's nothing I've missed." Kate mumbled. Greg nodded and turned to go and find Nick. Kate exhaled and started to quickly run through her options. She could stake the victim right then and there, losing her job on the first night for tampering with a corpse and at the same time getting a reputation for being a weirdo. She still wasn't sure if all of this added up to an actual vampire killing. Maybe she was just paranoid. Maybe this was just some sicko who had seen too many Dracula movies.

Still. It would be her fault if this thing rose again and started killing people.

She would have to stay with the body until it rose. _If _it rose.

But she didn't know how long that would be.

But there was someone who did.

She could call Angel… and have him follow her all the way to Las Vegas, getting them tangled up in a shroud of problems again. She would have to explain to him why she took off and then it would all turn into a huge mess.

"Kate?" Nick was looking at her, concerned. Kate shook herself from her reverie and looked up at Nick "Yeah?"

"You OK?"

"Uh… Yeah. Listen," Kate thought quickly "I'm going to ride with the coroner so I can see the whole post mortem, OK?"

Nick frowned but nodded "Sure. What evidence did you get?"

Kate handed him the bags with the wallet and the swabs in. Nick took it and raised an eyebrow "No fingerprints?"

Kate was becoming a little awkward by this time, and increasingly aware that the body by her foot may wake up at any second. She shook her head "Not a single one. Not even a partial. I swabbed the wound on his neck though. There was no obvious DNA but I figured there must be something there."

That seemed to be enough for Nick. He called Greg over so they could head back to the lab. As they drove away Kate quickly got her camera out and took some pictures, an act which had eluded her after finding the holes in Carl Jacoby's neck.


	3. Tears all over Town

**Title: Dead Skin**

**Author: Officer BudBabe**

**Summary: Angel/CSI Crossover. Kate Lockley needed a new life. She needed to shed her dead skin and become human again. Somewhere where nobody would know her… where she could just start again. But the past never stays in the past. **

**Genre: Angst/Romance/Mystery**

**Rating: K+**

**Disclaimer: This story has been written for entertainment purposes only and no Profit has been made on the Author's part. Really. I just like watching George Eads… Grin**

**Chapter Three –Tears all over Town**

**XXXX**

As she stood in the morgue Kate felt an overwhelming sense of dread seize her. She felt like the world was spinning on so fast it was leaving her behind and she was helpless to what was about to happen.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Albert Robbins. Most people call me Al. You must be Kate. I must say I've never seen someone so eager to see the post mortem." Al was a stout, friendly looking man who leaned heavily on a crutch. Kate dredged up a smile.

"Well, I've got to say I've always found bite marks a bit of a phenomenon." She managed to choke out.

As Al set up Kate focused her line of vision on Carl Jacoby's eyes, watching for any flicker of life… or unlife.

'_I'm in way too deep here. I need help. I can't call Angel… but what else can I do?' _Kate began taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"What happens to the vital organs?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"They will all be removed and weighed."

"It says on a card in his wallet that he's an organ donor. Is there anything about his cause of death that could stop these organs from being donated?"

"There are two types of donation: organ donation and tissue donation. Organs that can be donated are the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small intestine. These can only be taken while the heart is still beating and after the donor is "brain dead". So unfortunately, this man has been dead too long to be considered eligible to donate his organs. Judging by the pattern of Rigor Mortis, I would say he's been dead as little as five hours."

Kate looked at the clock. Two Am. Counting back five hours she calculated that Carl Jacoby died at approximately Ten Pm the night before. After sunset.

Kate watched the Post mortem with a small amount of interest, taking a few notes and becoming faintly amused when Al discovered that the entire body had been sucked dry of all its blood. Finally he was able to find a few dregs and swabbed them for Kate.

"Fascinating. I've never seen this before. All of the blood has been sucked out through the holes in their neck. There is no other way it could have been drained. Do you think it's a fetish killing?"

'_I wish.' _Kate thought grimly, but to Al she shrugged "I'm not sure. Judging by the location of the body I would assume that someone wanted it to be found, but we won't be truly sure until the results of the swab from the victim's mouth come back."

Two hours later, Al finished up the post mortem, confirming that the victim had been alive when the blood had been put into their mouth as there were large amounts in the digestive tract. All the organs had been removed and weighed, but Kate still wasn't sure that this would stop Carl Jacoby rising again, if indeed that's what was going to happen.

"Do you know how long it will be before they pick him up to go to the funeral home?" Kate asked. Al looked at his watch.

"Someone should be by in about an hour. Why do you ask?"

Kate racked her brain for an excuse _'Dammit.' _"I just wondered." _'Great Kate. Well done.'_

**XXXX**

For the next hour Kate was never far from the morgue. She had to figure out a way to be there when they cremated the body, or her mind wouldn't rest. She was in way over her head.

'_But I can't call Angel.' _That was the one thing she had been completely sure of the whole time. It would just create problems.

She had been stupid to think that there would only be vampires in Los Angeles. Las Vegas had seemed a good prospect for un-supernatural activity because there were so much human evil there. In an ironic twist of fate, that was why she'd picked it.

Suddenly, her pager bleeped. Nick was summoning her to the DNA lab. Taking one last half hearted stare through the morgue window at the motionless body lying on the table, Kate thanked god that Al had gone to get a cup of coffee, leaving the morgue locked and empty.

Rushing along the hallways, desperate to get back to the morgue as quickly as possible, Kate almost bowled into Brass, who called after her, asking how her night was going. Kate shouted a garbled reply and carried on down the hallway, skidding into the lab and coming to a halt in front of Nick and Greg.

Greg held up the swab that Kate had taken from the victim's mouth "It's not the Victim's. The blood sample you sent over an hour ago wasn't his either. I ran it through CODIS and it turns out that its blood, but there's no DNA to be found. I've never seen this before."

Kate's blood froze. This confirmed her suspicions. This wasn't just some psycho who had seen Dracula a few too many times. This was real. There were real vampires in Vegas.

"Are there any other cases fitting these descriptions?" She asked faintly. Greg thought.

"There might be a few. You want me to pull them up for you?" Kate nodded

Nick frowned "What good will that do? We've got barely anything to go on."

"It might help us establish a link between them and hopefully give us some information on what we're looking for." Nick studied the way in which Kate spoke. Her voice wavered a little every now and again. Like she was hiding something. Her left leg was jigging about uncontrollably and she kept checking her watch.

"Look I've got to get back to the morgue. The guy from the funeral home will be here to pick up the body in a little while and I want to test a theory."

Nick's eyebrows went into his hairline "What theory?"

But Kate was already on her way out of the door "I'll tell you when I get back."

**XXXX**

The man who came to pick the body up was tall and well built. He wheeled the body out of his van with ease, but gave a small frown when Kate asked to go with him.

"Do you make a habit out of being there for all the victims, detective?"

Kate shook her head "Only the ones who die under suspicious circumstances."

The man stepped aside and let Kate get into the passenger seat of the van "My name's Jake Meers. I run the show for those who no longer need tickets."

Kate nodded "Kate Lockley."

**XXXX**

The funeral home was like something out of a movie, dark and eerie. Only the squeak of the trolley wheels and their steady footsteps could be heard as Jake pushed the newest arrival down the hallway with Kate in tow.

Stepping into the furnace room, Kate stayed back while Jake began to prep the body for cremation. She studied his face as his gaze met with Carl Jacoby's neck. Jake glanced at Kate, a look of mild surprise on his features "Don't see many of these anymore." As he leaned over the body a small wooden crucifix on a string around his neck fell from inside his shirt and dangled close to the body. Kate immediately knew that Jake was aware of more than he let on. He looked up at her, as if testing her to see if she believed him.

"Roughly how many do you get a year?" she asked, coming closer to the body.

Jake shrugged "One or two dead ones. Maybe four or five sired ones. They wake up once they're inside the furnace."

Kate frowned "And you say you get more sired ones than just dead ones?" Again, Jake nodded. Something was troubling Kate.

"When you said you don't see many of these anymore, what do you mean?"

Jake began to wheel the now prepped body over to the furnace "They're getting faster at waking up now. They're evolving. Usually they're up and about again before anyone can call emergency services."

'_So why was this one just left? Surely they would have taken him with them?'_ Kate thought.

"Are you saying that this one's been sired?" She wondered aloud. Jake nodded dourly.

She watched the iron door to the furnace slam shut. Stepping as close as she dared she peered in through the window as the flames started up. Jake stood beside her.

"I knew the minute you asked to be witness to the cremation that you knew something." Kate kept her eyes trained on the flames that were licking at Carl Jacoby's body "Give it a few seconds, Detective Lockley."

"How do you know all of this?" Jake smiled a little.

"The first time I ever saw a Vampire was when one woke up on my prep table. Damn near took a chunk outta my arm too." Jake lifted his sleeve to show a jagged looking scar "I was so scared that I let it get away, but not without getting one look at its face. If it had been a more experienced vampire, I'm pretty sure it woulda killed me without a second thought. After that I did a lotta reading and started carrying this-" Jake lifted his crucifix to show Kate.

Suddenly a bloodcurdling scream came from inside the furnace "Well, I see our guest has woken up." Jake said grimly. Kate nodded, feeling slightly numb. Jake smiled kindly.

"I know. Las Vegas, the last place you'd look for vampires. But they're here." He said, heaving one of the levers on the control panel down "And if you want my tip off, I think they're preparing for something pretty big. We haven't had a properly dead one in a long time which means they're siring everything they find. If I were you I'd be getting my butt outta Vegas."

**XXXX**

Day was breaking by the time Kate got back to her apartment. Grissom had told her to clock out and get some sleep. The sun rose into a clear sky, shooing away the night.

Slipping inside her apartment, Kate collapsed on the sofa and into a deep sleep.

There she was again, in the Blue Bar. The same dress. The same look in her father's eyes.

'_After mom died, you stopped, you know? It was like you couldn't stand the sight of me.'_

She knew the speech off by heart. Repeating each word was like the stab of a needle each time. And then she was in her Father's apartment. The same bloodstain on the carpet. The same expression on Angel's face.

'_I wanted to save him. He – he wouldn't let me - Look, he was involved in something, Kate, in something he couldn't have understood.' _

The same tears. Night after night, the same tears.

Waking up later, Kate was astounded to find out that she had been asleep for nearly ten hours. Walking around her apartment in a daze she showered briefly and dressed for work. Making herself some coffee she turned on her computer and checked the exact time of sunset. 7.53 Pm. That gave her three quarters of an hour to get to work safely.

Going into the bedroom Kate opened the wardrobe. Pulling a black burlap sack from the top shelf she spread the contents out on the bed. Choosing two stakes and a crucifix Kate left the rest of it out and tucked the items she had chosen into her bag.

Stepping out of her apartment building Kate was met with an overwhelming sense of dread mingling with the cool evening air. What was she going to do? If Jake's prediction was right and the vampires of Las Vegas were building up their forces then what was she going to do about it? She was just one person.

She couldn't call Angel…. But she needed help.

Kate's inner turmoil berated her all the way to the Crime Lab. Clocking in she arrived in the locker room to be met by Greg, who was just arriving himself.

"Hey, Kate." Kate nodded to Greg as she went to put her bag in her locker, finding it slightly too bulky to slide straight in. She grappled with it a few seconds, and then lost her grip. The bag went tumbling to the floor, the contents spilling everywhere. Greg stooped to help her pick everything up. Kate scrabbled around, finding the crucifix and one of the stakes before Greg could see them, trying to act normal, but too little avail.

"Uh… Kate?" Greg held up one of the stakes questioningly. Kate's eyes widened and she stumbled over her words, trying to explain.

"Oh that? It's for self defense. They're all the rage in L.A." Grabbing the stake from him she stuffed it back into her bag "Uh… I gotta go, I'll see you later." Throwing her bag into the locker and slamming it shut, she bustled out of the locker room, leaving a stunned Greg behind.


	4. Looking At You

**Title: Dead Skin**

**Author: Officer BudBabe**

**Summary: Angel/CSI Crossover. Kate Lockley needed a new life. She needed to shed her dead skin and become human again. Somewhere where nobody would know her… where she could just start again. But the past never stays in the past. **

**Genre: Angst/Romance/Mystery**

**Rating: K+**

**Disclaimer: This story has been written for entertainment purposes only and no Profit has been made on the Author's part. Really. I just like watching George Eads… Grin**

**Thank you to leothelion04, everybetty, and mma63 for my first three reviews! **

**Chapter Four – Looking At You**

**XXXX**

Hurrying down the corridor Kate's heart was beating a mile a minute. What could she do? Greg was surely going to ask her about the stake. Her self defense excuse hadn't been the best story she could come up with.

If she tried to tell anyone at the crime lab, they would think she was crazy and she would lose her job.

Things were going to get bad, that she was sure of. Greg must suspect something now, and pretty soon Nick probably would. She wasn't working with cops anymore. She was working with scientists. Smart people.

Who could she get in contact with? The only person she knew who would believe her was Angel and he was in L.A with his own problems, no doubt.

Kate was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice someone walking in the other direction, engrossed in an autopsy report.

"Oof!" Kate slammed into Nick, causing him to drop the file he was carrying and spill his coffee down his shirt, making him wince as the hot liquid came into contact with his skin through his shirt.

"Oh god, I'm sorry. I hope it wasn't too hot?" Kate stooped to pick up the scattered pieces of paper. Nick smiled through gritted teeth as he bent down to help her.

"No no, just enough to take the top layer of skin off is all." Taking the pieces of paper she held out to him he enquired "What were you thinking about?"

Kate refused to meet Nick's eyes, instead becoming interested in wiping up the small coffee spatters on the floor with her shirt sleeve "Uh… nothing important."

Nick frowned "Must have been pretty important."

This time Kate's gaze did meet Nick's. She was starting to look slightly irritated "No, it wasn't."

Nick exhaled heavily, but chose not to pry into things any further. There was something slightly strange about Kate, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. She seemed defensive when anyone asked her what she was thinking, and her approach to the case they were working was a little more than slightly secretive. She still hadn't told Nick or Greg about her excursion to the funeral home the night before, and she had been so insistent on being at the autopsy.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time on the floor today, Kate." Greg observed as he wandered up behind her "Is it interesting down there?"

Kate straightened immediately and brushed herself off "No, I uh… Just walked into Nick that was all. I wasn't paying attention." Turning to Nick she frowned apologetically "I'm sorry about your shirt. It's not ruined is it?"

Nick shrugged "No, it's OK. I've got plenty more anyway. Greg, did you pull up those case files for Kate?"

"Yeah they're in the break room." Greg confirmed. Nick nodded.

"OK, well I've gotta go change my shirt."

Nick walked past Kate and Greg towards the Locker room. Kate glanced at Greg with a smile and a parting shot of "Thanks Greg, I owe you one." Before hurrying off. Greg nodded in response and waited until Kate was out of sight before following Nick into the Locker room.

"Nick, we need to talk about Kate."

Nick turned and raised his eyebrows at Greg "Look Greg it doesn't matter how many times you say it, you cannot call dibs on every woman you see."

"What?" Greg sat down on the bench next to his co worker "No, man. Doesn't she strike you as a little… odd?"

Nick frowned "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on. Are you telling me you weren't a little mystified when she insisted on going to the funeral home with that body last night?" Nick shrugged.

"Maybe a little. But what makes you so sure all of a sudden that she's a couple of ants short of a picnic?"

"I'm not saying she's crazy, Nick. But when she came in a little while ago, she dropped her bag on the floor and all her stuff fell out. I went to help her pick it up and you know what she's got in there?" Nick shook his head.

"Wooden stakes and a crucifix. She said they were for self defense."

Nick raised his eyebrows "You're kidding."

"No way." There was something in Greg's tone, something sincere that made Nick believe him.

"You think she thinks that the murderer isn't human?" he asked, throwing his coffee stained shirt into his locker and pulling out a new one. Greg shrugged.

"I don't know. She never struck me as the type to believe in all that stupid stuff. It takes all sorts, I guess."

**XXXX**

Kate sat in the Break room poring over the reports, analyzing every detail. Greg had also pulled up a missing persons list from the past three years. The amount of disappearances had increased, and the number of corpses found with puncture wounds to the neck had gone down. This, in theory, confirmed what Jake had said. More and more people were being sired. So fast in fact, that it appeared they were evolving.

Three of the cases Greg had given her had supposedly been 'solved'. Someone had been caught, brought to trial and sentenced to life in prison. Kate was willing to bet a lot of money that those people were innocent.

As she read on, Kate's hand unconsciously wandered to the faint scar on her neck that Angel had left her with after biting her during a museum heist. He had saved her life that night, and that hadn't been the only time.

The scar was barely there, but Kate never wore her hair up anymore, paranoid that someone might see it. Every time she saw it in the mirror she was reminded of things she was never supposed to know about. Things she would rather forget.

Kate leaned back in her seat and rubber her already-tired eyes. Her gaze fell on her cellphone lying on the table.

'_It would be so easy to pick up the phone and call him.'_ A tiny voice in the back of Kate's mind whispered.

It would. So very easy to just pick up the phone and dial the number that seemed forever etched inside her mind. Kate could almost feel her hand reaching out to touch it. Her fingers itched to feel the smooth surface of the little machine.

Something was stopping her. Something so unbelievably petty. She would have to talk to Angel, let him know where she was.

Let him know she needed help.

Kate had never needed a Knight in Shining Armor to gallop up and rescue her in her hour of need. She had always said she never really believed in such a person, adamant in convincing people that she was fine as she was.

Before her father died, before she ever met Angel, Kate sometimes allowed herself to secretly long for someone to realize that everything she ever said about not needing anyone was bullshit. For a short period of time, Kate had thought Angel was that person, the person who heard the words she wasn't saying. She even allowed herself to believe that maybe he was her Knight, just for a second.

If he came to Las Vegas she would have to speak to him, to be honest not something she had planned on doing ever again.

"Get a hold of yourself, Lockley. People are dying here." She muttered angrily to herself, reaching out and grabbing her Cellphone from the table top. Punching in the number she held the phone to her ear and listened, her muscles tensing with each ring. It seemed an age before Cordelia answered.

"Angel Investigations, We help the hopeless…. Hello?"

"Kate?" Kate turned to see Nick stood in the doorway with two cups of coffee in his hands. Kate, suddenly glad of the interruption, clicked her cellphone shut and gave Nick her full attention "Yeah?"

Nick ventured into the room and set the coffee down in front of her "It's only your second night and I didn't know how you take your coffee, so I just stole some of Greg's Blue Hawaiian and put two sugars in." He explained, taking a seat opposite from her.

"That's great, thanks." Kate took the coffee gratefully, concentrating on the way the delicious aroma filled her nostrils and how the warmth from the cup was spreading over her fingers. Nick gestured to Kate's cellphone "Who were you calling?"

Kate's heart gave a sudden jump when she remembered who she had been trying to call "Oh, uh… just someone I knew in L.A on the force. I'm pretty sure we had a case like this a while back and needed confirmation that I wasn't remembering anything wrong." Nick nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. They sat in silence for a while, Kate pretending to be avidly studying one of the case files. Nick's voice finally brought her from her reverie.

"Is there any kind of link between them?" Kate seemed to pause for a second, as if weighing up what she could tell him. Nick took the split-second opportunity to study her.

Kate's features were delicate and her skin looked soft. She looked more like a Pixie than a Crime scene investigator. Her ears seemed elfin, but were only shown when she tucked her smooth, honey blond hair behind them. Her lips looked pale and smooth, like porcelain. Kate's eyes were the color of the ocean, and seemed to hold thousands of secrets and inhibitions. There was a certain shyness in them; a sense of holding back that surprised Nick a little. There was no innocence in these eyes, just a sadness where innocence must have once been. Nick wondered what they had seen.

He was jerked from his avid studying of her face by a frown that had settled over he features "Why are you staring at me?"

Now it was Nick's turn to stammer "Oh… I – uh… thought you reminded me of someone."

Kate didn't look like she believed him, but carried on with what she had been saying without further argument "Look," She passed her notes to Nick and leant across the table to point out her findings. "By looking at the number of disappearances over the past few years – they've gone up – you can compare them to the number of bodies with neck wounds, which has gone down." She was leaning close to Nick, and he could just catch the scent of her shampoo. The fingers that were pointing to certain figures were slender and long. Every so often they would brush against the tip of his thumb; her skin was soft and warm.

Kate sat back in her seat, leaving Nick feeling dazed. What was happening to him? He didn't normally go for women like Kate. He liked wild redheads with blazing green eyes. They were more spontaneous and sexy and exciting to be around. But there was something that drew Nick to Kate. A quiet strength, an unfailing ambition.

A need to be rescued.

Kate didn't look like the girl who needed to be rescued. In fact, she didn't look like the girl who wanted to be rescued. She could stand tall on her own, and probably take countless hits. But something in her eyes seemed to argue with the way she carried herself.

'_Get a hold of yourself Stokes.' _Nick thought scornfully,_ 'You don't even know her that well. You're only on your second shift with her. She's an attractive woman. This is normal.'_

"Guys." Greg stood in the doorway to the break room, startling Nick from his thoughts. Kate looked up from her notes "Yeah Greg?"

"I had Archie run searches on all the people on the missing persons list. There's a pattern in where they come from." From behind his back Greg drew a map. He walked to the table and set the map down. Nick and Kate leaned forward to get a better look.

"It's a spiral." Nick stated. Greg nodded.

"The disappearances started here," he pointed near the top of the map, "And moved inwards, towards this point on the strip." Indicating a point on the Las Vegas strip right next to the Castaways Hotel and Casino.

"It's too neat to be a coincidence." Kate murmured. Greg and Nick nodded in agreement.

"So we're thinking serial killer, probably with a penchant for Horror movies. What I want to know is why we found some of the bodies, but not all of them." Nick rubbed his eyes in exhaustion.

"Don't forget that he's using some funky blood substitute to leave in the victim's mouth." Greg added "Kate, what do you think?"

Kate had been staring absently at the table for the last few minutes. She peered up, startled "Um… I'm not sure. Would you guys excuse me for a second, I have to make a call." She stood and hurried out of the break room. Greg turned to Nick "We have to talk to her. She's acting far too weird."

Nick just stared after Kate's retreating figure, a look of confusion in his eyes.

**XXXX**

Kate peered into the Las Vegas night from where she stood on the front steps of the crime lab, her cellphone clutched in her hand.

This was serious. Something serious was happening in Las Vegas and Kate had no idea how to deal with it. Her fellow coworkers thought she was crazy and this was only her second shift.

Taking a deep breath Kate lifted her phone and began to dial.

"Help." A quiet voice from the shadows startled her. Kate looked around for the source and upon finding none, scolded herself inwardly for being paranoid.

"Help me." There it was again, louder this time. Kate turned and looked for the speaker "Hello?"

A girl emerged from the shadows, sporting a bloody lip and a bruised cheek "Help me." She whimpered quietly. Kate shoved her phone in her pocket and went to help the girl "What happened to you?"

"S-something bit me." The girl began to cry. Kate fished a tissue out of her jacket pocket and handed it to the girl "Are you OK? What did they look like?"

"A little like this." The girl snarled, her face morphing into its true form. Kate froze, momentarily shocked by what she saw. The Vampire lunged for her, taking them both down to the ground. Kate struggled underneath the monster, who was trying to get a good grip on her neck. The vampire swiftly backhanded her across the face. Kate tasted blood but carried on grappling. Drawing its fist back, the beast took a swing at Kate, catching her across the cheek. Kate yelled in pain, feeling her world spin out of focus.

Suddenly, the vampire screamed and shrank back, clutching her hand, which was smoking slightly. Kate remembered her Cross necklace and took the opportunity to kick it in the stomach, forcing it to reel backwards. This gave her a few seconds to rummage through her pockets, cursing herself for leaving her stakes in her locker. Finding a pencil Kate brought it out and prayed it would hit the target. Throwing herself on to the vampire Kate buried the pencil in its chest with as much strength as she could muster.

The vampire exploded into dust underneath her, causing Kate to fall forward on her front. Lying face down on the concrete for a moment, Kate tried to get her bearings. Heaving herself into a sitting position, Kate fished her phone out of her pocket and sighed when she saw the cracked screen. She dialed and listened for the ringing sound, giving a yell of triumph when it came through loud and clear.

"Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless." Cordelia answered yet again.

Kate cleared her throat and took a deep breath "Cordelia… It's Kate Lockley."

"Oh. Well… You sound like you're fine so I'll spare the pleasantries. Are you calling for Angel? He's out. Saving lives, you know, actually making a difference?" Cordelia's tone was sarcastic and Kate had expected nothing less. If she strained her ears she could hear another voice in the background. The British man… what was his name? It didn't matter. Kate could hear him trying to wrestle the phone from Cordelia.

"Miss Lockley? Yes we've met before, I've no doubt you remember," The tone was slightly less cold than Cordelia's had been… but only slightly. Kate hugged her knees to her chest and wiped her bloody and rapidly swelling lip with her free hand "My name is Wesley Wyndham-Price. Angel is currently out at this moment but I would gladly take a message for you."

Kate had an idea "Actually, um… no, that uh, that won't be necessary if you can help me."

Wesley sounded surprised "I don't see how I can help you Miss Lockley."

Kate took another deep breath "I'm in Las Vegas."

"Ah. That is a problem." Kate could hear the sarcasm creeping in and hurried to explain "No, You see, I'm in Las Vegas and they've got a real vampire problem. Something's happening that I can't really explain. I'm on my own here. I can't handle this alone." Taking yet another deep breath, she croaked "I need help."


End file.
